Baby bump; officials worry a lack of teen pregnancy prevention program may see birth rates spike

Although teenagers in Humboldt County are less likely to give birth than their peers statewide, local health educators and officials are warning that birth rates may increase in the coming years following the elimination of county preventative education programs.

"We had 14 years of quality programming in this county that really reached out to teens in the local school system," said Beth Chaton, who coordinated the Teen-Adult Partnership for Enhancing Strategies Toward Responsible Youth, or TAPESTRY, initiative for 14 years through the Humboldt County Office of Education before it closed after losing a Community Challenge Grant from the California Office of Family Planning in June 2011. "Since that has been eliminated I am absolutely worried we will see our teen birth rates go back up."

The initiative worked with over 1,000 students each year, providing information on pregnancy prevention and healthy relationships, as well as educating teachers and AmeriCorps volunteers. Chaton said the first wave of high school students not receiving the educational benefits of the TAPESTRY program are now working their way through the public school system. More than 100 similar initiatives across the state have also closed their doors after losing funding, she said.

Part of the problem, Chaton said, is that the initiative was so successful that Humboldt County's teen birth rates are too low to qualify for the limited state grants.

Humboldt County is one of 26 California counties with teen birth rates lower than the state average. Between 2006 and 2010, Humboldt County birth rates fell about 4 percent, from 31 births per 1,000 girls in 2006 to 27.1 births per 1,000 girls in 2010. The state's average is 29 births per 1,000 girls, while the national average is 34.3 births per 1,000 girls.

The problem with funding counties based on need -- as opposed to long-term results -- shifts the focus from prevention to intervention, said Six Rivers Planned Parenthood CEO Denise Vanden Bos.

"There are new 12- and 13-year-olds every year that are not receiving the benefits TAPESTRY afforded," she said. "It's not like once you put the information out there one time you are done. That would be great, but that's not how it works."

Vanden Bos said Six Rivers Planned Parenthood was able to keep its student-based peer education program, Spare Change, up and running thanks to community support. While Spare Change does its best, Vanden Bos said it was hard to see the sense of community collaboration leave with the TAPESTRY initiative. There is also now a greater demand put on Spare Change.

"We are asked to perform at many schools in the county, but really there aren't enough hours in the day," she said.

Claire Appelmans, a senior at Arcata High School and volunteer with Spare Change, said she worries about the quality of sex education her peers are receiving through the public school system. In her experience, Appelmans said sex education was a two week unit in a semester-long class her freshman year.

"So we learn it freshman year, but then by senior year, when it's useful, we have either forgotten it or it's outdated," she said. "That's concerning to me, because I understand that the consequences of not remembering or knowing that information can be very extreme and not pleasant."

Although the 17-year-old believes Spare Change does an excellent job, she said she feels that more county outreach options are needed. While intense at times, Appelmans said the information she receives and can pass on to her peers through Spare Change makes it more than worth her time.

"These aren't easy topics that we are discussing," she said. "For example, I remember we went into an eighth grade class and no one wanted to look at us because we were talking about healthy relationships. It's not always something people want to talk about -- I certainly didn't when I was younger -- but once you get exposed to it, it becomes easier."

Education and prevention outreach programs are vital to the health and well-being of her peers, Appelmans said.

"I haven't heard about Spare Change having any financial difficulties, but I think a large part of that is because of community support," she said. "People recognize that this is an important program."

In her experience, Appelmans said education is the No. 1 tool to prevent unwanted teen births. From education stems communication and awareness of options and consequences, she said. For example, Appelmans said she recently had the opportunity to speak with a teen mom about her experience becoming pregnant.

"You could just see how an entire life was changed because of becoming pregnant, having a child and living with and raising that child," she said. "It's a very beautiful thing (to be pregnant), but you have to make sure you want it when you get it. Being able to understand that is a great privilege that I am afforded."

For Chaton, the hardest part of seeing the TAPESTRY initiative end is losing the sense of community the program afforded. Although excited about new education programming work she is taking on in Del Norte County -- which at 64.4 teen births per 1,000 girls has the state's highest teen birth rate -- Chaton said she worries about what will happen in Humboldt County in the long-run.

"No one is monitoring or supporting sex education on a county level anymore," she said. "It's being done on a school-by-school, district-by-district basis. We don't know what the quality of the programming is anymore -- some teachers may be doing a great job -- but we no longer offer teacher training or have our finger on the pulse. Right now, we just have to wait and see."